In the Dark of the Moon
by Maea
Summary: Maria's dreams force the gang to overcome adversity and face a common enemy (or friend) Read it, you'll see! COMPLETED! Everyone rejoice with me by sending in mass amounts of feedback!
1. In the Dark of the Moon...

Title: In the Dark of the Moon

Author: Maea MacDermod

Email: maeve_aislinn@yahoo.com; feedback is like a drug to me! Please, feed the monkey!

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: This story takes place before TLV (for the acronymically impaired that's Tess, Lies, and Videotape) while some of the events in Crazy did happen, I chose to ignore others.

Summary: Maria's dreams force the gang to overcome adversity and face a common enemy (or friend) Read it… you'll see.

Category: M/M with some happy Mx/L overtones

Author's Notes: this story has been basically "Jaced"— kinda like being "Jossed", only with less vampires.

__

It's an interesting thing to see what sleep deprivation can do to people… some go crazy, some write fic.

***

" In the dark of the moon, we have our dreams to light the path." ~ Unknown.

***

Maria DeLuca shuffled around her room stuffing various items into her overnight bag. Just as she was preparing to walk into the living room, Amy DeLuca, Maria's mom, opened the door.

"What *are* you doing, Maria? Do you realize you're making enough noise to wake the dead?"

Maria shot her mom a side glance. "I'm spending the night at Liz's," she answered, tossing her makeup caddie into the bag.

"And when were you planning on telling me this? It is a school night, you know… and last I checked, I was still the parental unit around here."

The short blonde smiled at her mother. "Yeah, I know… it's just… well… I have to study for a bio test. You know that Liz is the best in the class, and… well, I haven't been doing too well. So, Liz offered to help me cram all the knowledge of the universe into my head at the last minute… tonight."

Amy stood with her arms crossed, sizing up her only daughter. Finally she caved. "Fine! Go! But you'd better do good on this test, Maria. No staying up all night doing facials and talking about boys."

Maria gave her a quick hug, "Don't worry, Ma… that's so not going to happen!" Then she rushed out the door.

* * *

Michael Guerin answered the door to his apartment sleepily, grumbling to himself_. //So much for getting to bed early tonight,//_ he thought.

Expecting to see Max or Isabel at the door, he was surprised when it was Maria instead. "Hey," he said, moving aside so that she could enter. Michael should be accustomed to her coming over now, since she spends most weekends with him at night. He wondered how she got her mom to approve a sleep-over night during the week, not that he actually believed that Amy DeLuca had any clue where her daughter really was the times that she was with him.

Maria walked in quietly and went straight to the bathroom to change. She came out minutes later with a clean face and her bunny pajamas on. Michael stifled the chuckle that bubbled into his throat. Without any words, the two of them laid down onto his bed, got comfortable and immediately fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Michael was awake long before the alarm, and Maria who was cuddled to his side. He liked to wake early, so that he could take the few minutes to just look at her. 

__

//For someone who's so against any attachments, you're getting pulled into her too easily.// he thought, memorizing the curves of her face. _//How the hell did I get so lucky to have this angel next to me in the morning? What did I do so right?//_ He only wished that he had the courage, and the right words, to tell all this to Maria's face.

Michael reached out and stroked her cheek, watching as her eyes fluttered open. "Is it morning already?" she asked.

"Yeah. What are you doing here?" The question sounded harsher than he intended.

She sat up in bed, "It's just that I sleep so much better when I'm with you. I'm sorry if you don't like that." Maria got up and walked towards the small bathroom to get ready for school, but Michael intercepted her before she was able to close the door.

"No, I didn't say that. I'm sorry that it seemed that way," he kissed her lips gently.

Maria just closed her eyes, "Why do we spend most of our time apologizing to each other? Just forget it. Come on, we're going to be late for school if we stand here all day."

She shut the door, and Michael smiled… another thing that he wished he could do in front of Maria.

...

They ran out of the apartment, and piled into Maria's car before she realized that she forgot her overnight bag. 

Michael started to argue with her but stopped, got out, and went back in for it. Less than a minute passed before Michael ran back to the car, tossing the stuffed canvas bag into the back seat of the Jetta. "I don't see why you couldn't just pick your clothes up after school," he said, grumpily. 

Maria rolled down her window, throwing the car in reverse. "I have more things in there besides my PJ's, Michael. Things I'll need before the end of the day. It's a girl thing, don't try to understand." She pulled away from his building towards the direction of school. Neither of them noticed Isabel sitting in her mother's car around the corner watching them and listening to everything they said. 

* * *

Isabel Evans was angry, though she didn't quite know why_. //What business is it of mine, who Michael spends his nights with,//_ she thought to herself_. //None… none what so ever, but why does it have to be her…. Maria.//_ The name left a bad taste in her mouth. _//What does he see in her?//_

The loud bell signaling the end of yet another mundane class broke Isabel from her reverie. The tall blonde gathered her books then left the class, unfortunately bumping into the last person she wanted to see in the crowd of students... Maria.

"Oaf," Isabel snarled.

Maria was taken aback, "What?"

"You heard me, Maria."

"Jeeze, what's eating you?" The shorter of the two women backed away a bit.

Isabel didn't stand down. "You… you and your attitude."

"My attitude? What in the world is up with you, Isabel? If anyone here is in need of an attitude adjustment, it's you… Oh mighty Queen of West Roswell."

"How long have you been sleeping with Michael?" Isabel asked, completely out of nowhere.

"Excuse me? I'm not--."

Isabel cut her off, "Don't bother trying to lie, Maria. I went by his apartment this morning… I saw the two of you leaving together."

"I – I was just picking him up for school," she managed to say.

"LIE!" Isabel yelled. She rushed over to Maria's locker and manipulated the lock to easily open it. The alien reached in, grabbing the bulging knapsack.

Maria elbowed her way through the busy hall over to her stuff. "What do you think that you are doing? That's mine," she hissed through clenched teeth. "You have no right!"

By now the two teens had earned an audience. About a half dozen students gathered around the arguing girls, eagerly waiting to see if a fight would break out.

"You say that you haven't been with Michael? Well, I beg to differ," Isabel dumped the canvas bag onto the school hallway floor, rooting around the items until she found what she was looking for. She threw the pajamas at Maria. "Need your jammies at school much?"

"Who are you anyway, his mother?? I didn't realize that I would need your permission to sleep with Michael!" There was a gasp from the crowd, now that they realized with they were arguing about. A few girls nodded and yelled out, "Yeah, really!" and "Amen, sister."

"He's my friend, and I'm here to tell you that he doesn't need you."

Maria got right into Isabel's face. "Well, I beg to differ," she said snidely, mocking Isabel.

Before the spunky human realized it, Isabel shoved her and she was on the ground. The glimmer in Isabel's eyes terrified Maria, as she could only wait for the alien girl to attack her right there on the floor. The crowd around them grew to about twenty students, pulsating and cheering the fight on. One voice rose above all the others.

"Isabel, stop this!" 

Maria glanced up to see Michael forcing his way through the crowd, followed closely by Max. Michael positioned himself between his fellow alien and the human on the floor, while Max helped Maria to her feet, and gathered her stuff.

"Are you okay?" Max asked her, quietly. "She didn't use—"

Maria stopped him before he could say too much in the large crowd. "No. I'm fine, Max," she tried to reassure him, but she wasn't too sure of it herself. The whole incident really affected the pixie blonde.

Michael glanced over his shoulder to check on Maria. Once he saw that she was not hurt, he turned back to Isabel. "What the hell do you think you were doing, Iz? What's this all about?"

"I know what's been going on, Michael. I saw the two of you this morning."

"And that's why you'd do this? Attack Maria? She's our friend… she's my—"

"Don't say it… I'll be sick if you say what I think you're going to say," she angrily interrupted. "No attachments, Michael. Isn't that what you're always telling us?"

He roughly grabbed her by the elbow. "Not here. If you have something smart to say, Isabel, you can talk. But we're not going to discuss *this* now."

Isabel jerked her arm away. "I expect this from Max, but not you. She's sucking you in…" 

Michael didn't want to hear anymore. He whirled away, took Maria's hand, and stomped down the hall.

"She's sucking you in…" she repeated. The mass of students started to dissipate, leaving the brother and sister alone in the hallway. 

"Don't… Max…. don't look at me like that," she said turning away from him.

"Isabel," he began, then hesitated. Finally he made up his mind what to say, and spoke again. "Don't even think about trying this with Liz."

She watched him, openmouthed, as he just walked away from her. No asking why she did it, no wanting to over-analyze her motives… nothing. He just went away.

* * *

Michael waited until they were safely in the eraser room before he even uttered a word to Maria. He could tell that she was disturbed by the whole ordeal… the fear was virtually oozing from her. 

"Are you…" he started to ask, touching her face and shoulders to make sure that nothing was harmed. 

Maria stepped back from him, brushing away his contact. "Like I told Max, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. You're shaking," he mentioned, pursing his lips skeptically.

"I'm just… a little shocked by Isabel… don't worry about me, okay. I won't let her little temper tantrum get to me," she tried to sound upbeat. Apparently it worked because he seemed to be convinced. "Come on, we should get to history class."

"Are you sure? Isabe—," Michael was silenced with a sharp glance from Maria. "All right… let's go. Mr. Sommers will be surprised to actually see me in class."

* * *

After the hellish day at school and a tough night at work, Maria decided to treat herself by lounging in an aromatherapy bubble bath to calm her nerves. She tried to relax, but found herself running the events of the day over and over in her head… then she thought of Michael and how weirdly supportive he had been lately. Inhaling the soothing aroma of the bath water, Maria closed her eyes for only an instant.

The stress started to ebb away, leaving Maria feeling peaceful, content… eerily subdued. Color flashed behind her closed eyelids, at first quickly and brightly, then slowing… eventually fading away. In their place, a figure formed. Although she could only see a silhouette of the person, Maria knew it was Michael. She knew his stance… his spiky hair… his essence. The dark man reached a hand out towards her, however before she could step to him, another figure formed. This one tall and feminine — Isabel. A sense of coldness swept over Maria as the Isabel shadow forced the Michael shadow to lower his outstretched limb, puling him away. The human girl wanted to rush forward, to stop the other girl from taking away Michael, but she was frozen in place. Panicked, she called out to his back.

"Michael — No!"

He continued to walk away, but the dark female at his side turned, and stared at Maria with glowing red eyes. The girl wanted to scream, only there was a horrible pressure in her lungs… she felt as if her chest would explode…

Maria woke up suddenly, completely immersed in the frigid water of her bath, her lungs burning for oxygen. She quickly sat up straight, coughing and gasping for air, looking around trying to get her bearings. The mountain of bubbles that were piled around her when she filled the tub only minutes ago were gone, not to mention the water was no longer steaming hot. In fact, a quick glance in the mirror showed Maria's lips were pale, almost blue. The water was COLD!

__

//This is impossible// she thought. _//I just closed my eyes for a second!//_

A knock on the bathroom door startled Maria and she jumped out of the bath, grabbing her favorite fluffy towel to wrap around her shivering body.

"Maria? Come on, what are you doing in there?" Her mom asked, through the door.

"Gee, Ma. Can't I get a little peace and quiet. I'm just trying to relax here," she answered.

"I gave you peace and quiet… for almost two hours… now…"

The teen didn't listen to the rest of Amy's ranting. _//Two hours?//_ Maria picked up her watch off the edge of the porcelain sink — her mom was right. She had been sleeping in the tub for more than an hour and a half. _//I could have drowned… I almost drowned!//_

She threw on her bath robe and opened the door, hoping her mother wouldn't notice her blue lips or terrified expression.

"It's nice of you to join us, Your Highness." Amy smiled, mockingly bowing.

Maria just walked past her, down the hall to her bedroom. "I'm going to bed… I'm, um… not feeling too well. Good night."

"Good night, hon. See you in the morning." Maria shut her door behind her and barely heard her mom's last words. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

Maria's dreams were anything but sweet… and when the blonde woke up the next morning, she was as tired as when she went to sleep. All night long, images of Michael ran through Maria's subconscious. Every time that she tried to reach out and touch him, the glowing eyes of Isabel appeared, causing Maria to lose him.

The teen walked through the bustling school halls in a daze, not even realizing that she just passed by her best friend.

"Maria! Hey, what's up?" Liz asked, concerned.

She blinked, trying to focus. "Oh, hey, Liz. What's up?"

"That's what I just asked. Where are you? Jupiter?" Liz laughed. "Late night out? You know…" she gestured toward the general direction of Michael and Max, both of whom were heading their way.

"No… anyway it's not like that," she snapped, shaking her head. Maria immediately felt guilty about her tone of voice when she saw the hurt expression on Liz's face. "I'm sorry… It's just that… I didn't sleep well last night…" The two girls hugged. "I'm sorry… Forgive me?"

"Yeah… it's totally okay, Maria."

The boys walked up and Max draped his arm over Liz's shoulders, leaning in for a gentle kiss. "Hi."

Liz smiled shyly. "Hi."

As Maria looked over to Michael, the images of her dreams invaded her head. He reached over to put his arm around her like Max was doing to his girlfriend and she could swear that she saw his eyes glow an evil red. She pulled away in a panic. "Don't touch me!" she said, rather harshly.

The three friends stared at her in shock. "What's wrong, Maria?" Michael asked.

She couldn't even look at them. "Nothing," the girl mumbled.

"Yeah, right. Whatever." Michael started to stalk away, but changed his mind in mid stride and took Maria's arm, leading her into an empty classroom.

"What are you doing?" she protested, resisting the urge to run from him.

Michael closed the opaque glass door, turning to her. "What's eating you, Maria? I mean, you keep telling me that you want what they have, and when I try you just freak out. Give me a clue here… tell me what to do!"

"I don't want what Max and Liz have. I want us to have something… else. Something special. You don't have to do exactly what he does, Michael. You should show affection in your own way."

"I can't. I wasn't raised like them, in that whole wishy-washy loving family crap… all I had was myself. So, I guess I can't show what I don't know, huh?"

She just stood there, not speaking, with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Michael noticed her change in attitude, and moved forward. "I'm sorry… but I'm trying." He stroked her cheek, causing her to look up into his eyes. "This isn't about our relationship, is it? What's wrong? Is it this thing with Isabel? Did she do something else to you?"

"No… there's nothing wrong. I'm just tired." Maria had to take a step back from him, and reached into her purse to pull out a little vial of peppermint oil. She inhaled it deeply. 

"This seems like more than 'just tired', Maria…"

"I'm serious, Michael. Everything's all right… and I'll feel better after a good night's sleep." She moved to the exit, turning to flash him the best smile that she could muster before stepping out into the hall. 

Liz and Max were waiting for them to the side of the doorway, but Maria didn't even notice the two. She walked on to her next class.

"Maria?" Liz called out after her and started to follow, concerned. 

The two boys went off in the other direction towards the gym. "So? Is she…" Max questioned.

"Who knows! She won't tell me anything. Women! Who can figure them out?" Michael said, exasperated.

Max slapped his best friend on the back and laughed. "I really don't think that we're meant to, Michael."

* * *

Sleep did not come easily for Maria that second night either. The images of Michael and his red glowing eyes plagued the girl until she finally just woke up and stayed awake until morning. She was sitting up in her bed, shivering, when Amy came into get her up for school.

"Good, you're up! I thought I might act all domestic and make pancakes for breakfast. Why don't you get dressed and meet me in the kitchen… Honey? Maria, are you listening to me?"

She looked up blankly, and flinched when she saw the form of Michael behind her mother, his eyes a smoldering red. Before she could scream, the figure faded away. "I'm not hungry, mom," was all she said.

"Are you sure? I bought wheat germ at the market the other day… I can make 'em the way you love them."

"Not hungry," Maria repeated, standing to get ready for school.

"Oh. Okay, maybe Saturday morning," Amy said, trying to hide her disappointment. "I'll see you tonight then, after work. I should get to the shop early."

* * *

The school day went by in a blur. Maria had managed to avoid all her friends the entire day, but now found herself getting into her waitress uniform in the employee dressing room at the CrashDown. The lack of sleep from the two previous nights was really wearing her down. She grabbed a bottle out of her backpack and as Liz entered the room, popped four pills into her mouth.

"You're not getting sick, are you?"

"No," she replied, flatly.

"Oh. I thought… um… is that Echinacea?" Liz asked, pointing to the bottle in her friend's fist.

Maria raised the bottle, irritated. "Ginseng… I'm tired so I thought it would help."

They finished getting ready in silence, Maria leaving the room first. She ran into Michael by the lockers.

"Hey. I didn't see you in school today," he said. 

"Yeah? Well, I was there… next time you should look harder." Her tone was biting, and she passed him to get out into the dining room. Liz walked over to him.

"I don't want to pry, Michael… but…" she started, her gaze trailing after her best friend.

"Then don't, okay? I'll deal with this tonight." He grabbed an apron off the rack and went straight to work in the kitchen, with a vengeance. Jose, the other cook, had to move to get out of Michael's way. The Latino man just grinned at the 'gung-ho' cooking attitude his younger counterpart was showing.

The dinner rush began almost immediately, bringing in the eclectic mix of tourists, locals and daily regulars… like Max. Isabel had become ghost-like with the group ever since the hallway fight. 

Maria was having a tough time managing her tables, her concentration and focus was completely gone. Every time Michael called for her to get the hot food out of the window, all she could see was the dream image of him… the one that she had been seeing for days.

"Excuse me, miss?" A customer snapped Maria's attention back to the Crashdown. She was standing at a table holding two plates of food. "Is that our food?"

She stared blankly at the woman and her six year old son. "Uh, yeah. You had the Captain Picard burger, right?" the waitress asked, glancing at the bleu cheese burger with a sesame seedless bun.

Liz rushed by Maria, noticing that every thing seemed to be okay with that situation, and walked to the kitchen to get Max's food. All night her section was so full she could barely stop by to talk to Max, but once his food was ready she took an extra minute to deliver it. The slender brunette leaned over the counter to refill his cherry coke and spoke in a hushed voice.

"I'm kind of worried about Maria, Max. She's been acting so strange since… the… um… the incident."

He turned to watch the petite blonde out of the corner of his eye, then glanced back at Liz. "She seems fine to me—"

The alien's thoughts were cut off as Maria exploded at a customer. "I'm telling you that if you ordered a Tommy Lee Jones, I would have written that down! You *asked* for a Sigourney Weaver!"

The woman stood, confronting Maria. "Why would I order a something with mushrooms when I'm allergic to them? I know what I said…"

Liz jumped in between the older woman and her friend. "Whoa, let's calm down," she turned to see Michael coming out of the kitchen to help. "Ma'am, we'll get your Tommy Lee Jones out here right away… Michael, can you take Maria into the back and tell Jose that we need a TLJ on the fly?"

He nodded reaching out for his girlfriend, but she backed away, glared at him, then she stalked off to the kitchen.

When Liz turned around from assuring the woman that her table's meal was on the house, she was pleasantly surprised to see Max with one of the long alien aprons on, taking the order of a new table. She stood there with an expression of whimsy on her face, watching him joke with the young children. Max leaned in to the oldest boy, who looked to be around six, and whispered into his ear. The two of them turned to the kitchen and waved excitedly at Michael, who waved back, confused. The kid and Max both laughed loudly as the older of the two walked away from the table.

Liz still watched him with her head cocked questionably to the side until he reached her.

"Wha—?" he asked.

"What did you just tell that kid?" she said, curiosity getting the better of her.

"I told him that my sister, myself and Michael are all aliens, descendants from the 1947 crash," he answered, matter-of-factly, "and that we're just like humans, rather run-of-the-mill really… except for the part about being from another planet, and being able to travel through time and space at will."

She gasped, "Max! You didn't!?"

He simply shrugged. "The kid asked," Max's eyes danced with laughter.

"Wow and I thought that picture of the fake alien I show the tourists was bad!"

They both walked in the back and immediately went over to Maria. The girl was sitting on the old couch, looking frailer than Liz had ever seen her. When she noticed their presence, Maria only glanced up at them briefly, then continued to stare at a spot on the wall.

"I'm really sorry, Liz." Maria began, her voice flat. "I have no clue what happened out there."

"Maria, I'm worried. There is definitely something wrong with you these past few days."

"I told you, I'm just…"

"Tired. Yeah, I know… I've heard. I just hope my dad has his cell. We're too short staffed tonight for me not to interrupt his 'date' with my mom."

Maria jumped up off the worn couch. "Liz, no… please don't. I can do my job. I just need a second and then I'll be back out there as good as ever."

"If you're so tired then maybe you should get to sleep early. Go home, Maria. Get some rest."

"Trust me…. I'll be fine. I'll even apologize to that lady out there… just don't call your dad."

Liz had a torn expression on her face. She wanted so badly to believe her best friend, but she was also the manager of the café when her parents were away. It was her responsibility to keep the staff in line. Finally in her inner turmoil, friendship won over duty.

"Okay, Maria… but once the rush is over, you're going home… to bed," the brunette said, firmly.

"Thankyou," Maria said in an exhaled rush, not even realizing that she had been holding her breath. She left them, and went to get the fresh burger out to the irate customer.

Max went to his girlfriend's side, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just wish that I knew what was going on with her. I mean, I've never seen her this way." Liz motioned to the alien-themed apron. "You don't have to work anymore."

"I kind of want to. I'm thinking this is a good look for me," he curtsied, flaring the metallic gray fabric out like a skirt. "You guys are packed out there, let me help. You'd do the same for me."

"Max, I'd do anything for you," she said in a small voice, staring at the floor.

He stroked her cheek, tenderly. "Me too."

Michael stuck his head out the door of the kitchen. "Come on you two… this food's not going to serve itself."

Liz sighed, grabbing Max's hand and led him back out onto the service floor.

* * *

Michael sat alone in his apartment after his grueling shift, thinking about Maria. He figured that she would come home with him that night, but she didn't. After the incident earlier with her outburst at the customer, Maria slipped comfortably back into her perky normal old self, even joking with him throughout the rest of the shift. 

But then when it came time to go home, Maria clamed up again. In fact, she was half-way out the door with out saying good-bye when Michael caught up with her.

"Hey! Maria, wait!" he said following her out the front of the café. "I was hoping that you'd come over… you know… so we can talk."

She sighed, "We don't talk… we never talk. I'm just going to go home and get some rest. Orders from the Chief," Maria said, motioning in Liz's general direction.

"Well then… come over. You said that… you told me…" he was getting no response from her. "Never mind." Michael turned on his heel and returned to work.

So here he was… alone at home on a Friday night… thinking about a girl who didn't even want to give him the time of day anymore. He was just beginning to feel like a real loser when there was a knock at the door. He rushed aver to open it, pasting a goofy grin on his face.

"I knew that you…" Michael trailed off as he opened the door and realized that it was Max, not Maria.

Max knitted his eyebrows together, "What's with the stupid smile?"

He looked out past his friend, still expecting Maria to be there. "I thought that you were Maria."

"I thought she decided to go home and get some sleep?" the shorter of the teens made his way into the apartment.

"Yeah, but I really… Never mind. What are you doing here? I figured that you'd be out with Liz. It being 'Hot Date Friday Night' and all."

"Nope. It's 'Post Desert Sleep-over with Max Family Enforced Fun Night' at the Parker household." At the confused look on his friend's face, Max clarified. "Liz made the mistake of telling her mother that she didn't even know her… you know, when we were having those flashes… and well, Mrs. Parker decided as part of her punishment, that Liz should hang out with her parents one Friday night a month… probably for the rest of her life. They're also threatening a 'Get to Know Max' dinner, too."

"Ugh," Michael cringed. "Makes me glad that Maria denies to her mom the fact she even knows me half the time. So? What do you have in mind?"

"I figured that we could use some male bondage…. Uh, I mean male bonding," he held up the plastic bag from the video store. "You know… movie night!"

"Cool. What'd ya get?"

Max pulled out the video. "E.T. 'Elliott…. Phone home…'" he held up his index finger and used his power to light the tip, jut like the alien on the cover, and laughed.

Michael raised his eyebrow, silently complaining about the movie choice.

"Just kidding…" he waved his hand over the cover. "I thought that we could do some research tonight…" When he took his hand away, the movie case had changed and a picture of Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum stared back at them.

"'Earth Girls are Easy'! Yeah… a classic. Did you bring—"

Max pulled a bottle of caramel sauce, tobasco and a package of microwave popcorn out of the same bag. He tossed the package to Michael. "Pop it up, Space Boy."

He studied the directions for a moment, removed the cellophane, and placed a hand under and above the paper bag, concentrating on directing the heat molecules into the kernels. It was something the other two had been trying to teach him ever since he had moved out on his own. They both felt that it was time for him to learn to use his power effectively, especially now that Topolsky was out of the picture.

"And Michael… try not to burn the bottom kernels this time. It ruins the whole flavor for me."

Michael laughed, letting out the tense breath that he had been holding. His control over his power was erratic and they all never knew what would happen.

Max held the bottle of caramel sauce, heating it with a simple wave of his hand until it was a liquid consistency, then started to add enough tobasco to make any human gag.

As the bag in the other boy's hand grew bigger, he glanced nervously at his friend for a split second. "At least you had the decency not to mention the time I exploded the whole bag. I was picking shards of popcorn off the floor for a week." When the popping slowed, he shook the bag and then emptied it into a large tie-dyed looking ceramic bowl that Maria made for him.

Maria… the thought of her took the smile off of Michael's face.

"What?" Max asked, noticing the change in attitude of the other alien.

The three of them, Michael, Max and the huge bowl of popcorn, sat on the couch, sinking onto the worn cushions of the old thrift store purchase. "Nothing," he mumbled. 

They put the tape in the VCR and watched it in silence for a while, until Max turned to Michael. "If you had that power, if you could make any human woman all crazy like that, who would you want?"

"Any woman? Easy! I'd want Pamela Anderson Lee."

Max choked on a piece of spicy caramel popcorn. "What?!"

"Yeah, I mean, she's this great actress — Did you ever see 'Barbed Wire'?" The dark haired teen shook his head, snickering. "Excellent movie…. And well, she runs. I love to watch her run. I think that I need a woman who can run a lot." His friend was now laughing uncontrollably. "Okay — I guess I would also use my mojo on Katie Holmes, you know, Joey from the creek WB show. How about you?"

"Liz… she's all I want," he said, calming down from his giggling fit. "Liz is my—"

Michael cut him off. "Liz is my soul mate," he said in a whiny voice. "How boring! Come on, Maxwell… you already have that power over Liz. Use your imagination. Someone you're never going to meet… someone famous — Hell, someone blonde with big—"

"Willow," Max blurted out.

A look of confusion crossed Michael's face. "The magical elfin guy from that movie? Um, that's a bit freakish—"

"No… WILLOW, Buffy's sidekick. The cute little redhead. I think it's the way she's smart and funny… just like—"

"Liz… she's my soul mate," Michael repeated in the same mocking tone as before.

"I don't sound like that… do I?"

"Yes," he said pointedly. "But good second choice."

They watched more of the movie quietly, until Michael turned back to his best friend. "So… I'm having problems with Maria."

"Yeah, I kinda noticed. What's up?" Max put a fistful of popcorn into his mouth.

"I don't know. Ever since Tuesday when Isabel… uh, went all beserker on her, she won't look me in the eye… or talk to me… or let me touch her. She's been avoiding me all week, not to mention she's irritable, continually tried, and… bitchy. Tell me how to fix this."

"We've been through this before, Michael. I can 't just tell you what to do and *POOF*, it's all better."

"Why not?" he asked innocently.

"Because…I just can't wave my arm and make your relationship better. What you have with Maria, you have to work on. I can't tell you how to fix every problem. You won't ever learn if I tell you what to do every single time, you need to do it yourself."

"Well at least give me some pointers… you and Liz got it all perfect, and that's all I want."

"Liz and I don't *have* it perfect. We *work* to get it perfect, and that's what you have to do. Besides, I thought that Maria said that she doesn't want what Liz and I have… she wants something different."

"Yeah," Michael said thoughtfully. "Well apparently now she doesn't even want me and her have anymore, either."

* * *

The dreams started again as soon as Maria's head touched the pillow. Instead of the shadow Michael and Isabel images that she was used to seeing, in this dream Maria was working at the Crashdown. She slipped into the day as if it had been scripted for her. 

She walked past Liz at her table of obvious tourists, and could only laugh as she heard her best friend tell the two about how her grandmother took the fake alien picture at the crash site. Maria continued on to the two arguing men in the corner, offering them more coffee.

"Refill?"

"No, get outta here," the man on the right said gruffly.

Maria shook her head at his rudeness, but just walked back to the service station. Liz met her halfway.

"You are sooo bad girl. Oh, and Max Evans is staring at you again."

"No way," Liz said denying the idea was even possible. " Maria, that is so in your imagination."

They both glance over to the second booth at the far end of the restaurant where the two boys were sitting, and Max quickly averted his gaze once he realized that she was looking at him.

"Max Evans? This? No, un uh..it's not..."

Maria took Liz's face into her hands, "And with those cheeks! Preciosita tan linda!"

"Maria!!" she exclaimed, moving away from her friend, slightly blushing. "And, and even if it weren't I'm going out with Kyle. I mean, he's steady and loyal, and he appreciates me."

"Sounds like you're describing a poodle," she said matter-of-factly, walking back out toward her customers with a cup of coffee in each hand.

The general chatter of the CrashDown customers was interrupted when one of Maria's rude guys, the one in the black shirt who told her to go away only minutes earlier, shouted at the other and knocked the dishes aside. "....you ask me to give you another day!!?? You're running outta time."

Maria turned to her friend in a panic. "Liz!!"

"I want the money today. NOT tomorrow!!" yelled the taller man. 

They both stood as the man with the flannel shirt pulled a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at the other. "You won't need it if you're dead!"

During the short struggle, everyone dropped to the floor. Everyone, except for Maria, who was too stunned to even move. A second later the gun went off, and the blonde felt fire rip through her midsection. The two men bolted for the door.

Liz jumped up from her place behind the counter to see if everyone was okay, "Maria…" 

When Max popped his head out from beneath his booth, he heard Liz call out to Maria, noticing her prone body on the floor. He tried to move towards her, but Michael blocked his path. 

"What are you doing? Let go of me," Max tried to shake free.

"You can't help her, Max. There's too many people around."

"Michael, I can't not help her. She's going to die."

"She's already dead, all you're going to accomplish is to get us captured. Besides, she's a human… We don't need her."

They watched from the sidelines as Liz held a thick cotton towel over the gaping hole in her best friend's stomach. 

The customers, the tourists, no one knew what to do. "Someone help me, please. Oh God!" Tears streamed from her eyes. "There's so much blood here. Maria…? Can you hear me, Maria?"

As the life seeped out of the nearly unconscious teen and into the towel in Liz Parker's hand, Maria could not see the dozen or so strangers standing over her watching her bleed. She could only see the face of Michael Guerin. And she could not hear the panic pleas of her best friend, nor the approaching siren of the ambulance. She could only hear Michael's impassioned sentence of her death. "She's only a human… We don't need her…."

* * *

Maria gasped for air and sat up quickly, knocking aside the probing hands of Liz and a paramedic. In the blink of an eye, the CrashDown and everyone in it was gone, replaced by the darkened familiarity of her own bedroom. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, making her heart jump and she knew it was useless to try to get back to sleep. Careful not to wake her mother in the room down the hall, Maria pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. The teen left the house and went for a destination-less walk.

* * *

"Do you think it's weird that we're talking about this?" asked Michael. The two had long since given up trying to watch the movie, and instead concentrated on talking about their respective girlfriends.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"I just mean, a year ago we had nothing but ourselves — you, me, Isabel — and now we have girlfriends, kinda, and I no longer have to deal with Hank… and it's just real weird. Ever since that day you broke the rule… everything has changed."

Max placed his soda on the coffee table. "I don't regret saving her… breaking our rule…"

"I know you don't," he said, uncommonly understanding.

"If I ever had the chance to do it all over, I have to take the same path. Liz is my everything. I couldn't even imagine a life without her."

"I know, man. I know that me and Isabel give you a hard time about it all, but I understand that you did what you had to do that day. I respect you for it." Michael took a deep breath. "But don't go spreading that around to Iz, Maximillion. I don't want her to think I've gone all soft on her."

"Given the chance, Michael… that day, had it not been Liz… what would you have done?"

"You mean, if it were Maria that was shot instead?"

Max nodded. "Yeah." He paused. "Would you have saved her?"

Michael stared down at his hands, intently studying a scuff on one of his sliver rings. He ran his finger over the minuscule groove, and used his power to smooth the metal down.

"Honestly… no."

The dark haired teen looked sharply at his friend, hardly believing his answer. "You would just let her die?"

* * *

Maria had no clue how her walk ended her at Michael's apartment, nor why when she saw Max's jeep did she not just go knock on the front door and ask to be let in. Instead she came around to the side of the building, skulking outside one of the windows. She could her every word of their conversation clearly from her vantage point. Maria heard Max ask *the* question.

"Given the chance, Michael… that day, had it not been Liz… what would you have done? Would you have saved her?"

And then she heard Michael's answer, "No."

Maria felt like her whole world dropped from beneath her. In the instant she heard him say no, she could bear to hear no more. The girl immediately turned and ran. She ran until she found herself in Devou Park, miles from her home. Maria curled up on a park bench and tried to fall back asleep. Any dream, no matter how awful, had to be better than what she heard tonight.

* * *

Back at Michael's, Max was shocked at his friend's answer. "You would just let her die?"

Michael pursed his lips together, trying to gather his thoughts. "You didn't ask the question right. Back then… I - I would have let her die. She meant nothing to me then — only our survival meant anything to me then. But now… I would block the gunshot with my own body, rather than let her feel the pain of having a bullet pierce her skin."

Max looked at him in amazement. "She is sucking you in…" he said , slapping Michael's knee, "…and it's all for the good."

* * *

Saturday morning came and Maria was surprised to wake up on a rusty park bench, but then the memories of the night before flooded back to her. She sat up stretching, then started the long walk back to her house. Glancing at her watch, she realized that she was scheduled to work in less than two hours.

* * *

"You're late," Liz said, not looking up from her inventory sheet, once the blonde arrived at work. "Did you at least get some sleep—" she cut herself off when she finally glanced at her friend. "God, Maria… you look like you slept in a box behind Delgado's hardware store."

Maria massaged her stiff neck, trying to work out the kinks. "Park bench," she mumbled.

"What?"

"Never mind. Are the tables ready for lunch?"

"Yeah," Liz changed the subject. "How are things going with you and Michael? You never want to dish lately."

"Michael… he's every girl's dream," she said in a sarcastic tone. 

The two girls moved out into the service area for one last check of the restaurant before they unlocked the door.

"Give him a chance, Maria. He seems to be trying."

"No matter what, he's never going to be the kind of guy that I want him to be, Liz… so maybe *I* should stop trying. He's always going to be Michael… silent, defensive… broody… Czechoslovakian…" _//The guy who would let me die…//_

"He is changing… I can see it from where I'm standing. Maybe you're too close to see the effort he's making."

"Maybe." Maria looked up to see Michael and Jose through the kitchen window. They were discussing the daily specials, she assumed, but he was staring at her, not the other cook_. //Maybe Liz is right//_ she thought_. //But I still heard what he said. Why would he say something like that if he didn't mean it?//_

Maria walked to the back to get her apron and antennae tiara. She spun the lock and opened the door on her locker to find a single daisy resting on her stuff. The blonde squeezed her eyes shut and pinched her hand, not sure that this wasn't another dream. When she opened her eyes, the flower was still there, so she reached in to pick it up.

"Are you feeling better?" Michael's voice startled her out of her reverie. She slammed the locker door in surprise. "Sorry if I scared you."

"You didn't. Is this from you?" she asked, holding the daisy up.

"Yeah. Do you like it?"

"Daisies are my favorite," Maria whispered into the flower as she breathed in it's sweet scent.

"I know." She looked at him quizzically, so he continued in a rush. "The flashes… red sneakers, Dalmatian dog. I saw a whole lot of you that day, Maria… including daisies."

She smiled. "Thank you." Leaning in close, Maria wrapped her free hand around the back of Michael's head and pulled him to her for a kiss.

The instant their lips met, visions filled her head: The dream shadow Michael and Isabel, him watching her bleed to death on the cold tile floor, and finally the sound of his voice echoed through her mind… "She's only a human… We don't need her…" Maria pulled away sharply.

"What?" Michael gasped, disturbed by the break of contact. He stared at her, concerned.

"Nothing… I should help Liz finish the pre-shift."

He watched her walk away. "Okay… as long as nothing's wrong." She didn't answer.

* * *

Breakfast was slow as usual, but once noon came and passed, the CrashDown was hopping and all of the teens had no chance to worry about their problems. 

Max and Alex sat in the first booth chatting and eating their food, when Liz stopped by to check on them.

"How's everything here guys?"

Max stroked her hand. "Better now," he smiled, making Liz blush. They both looked over at Alex as he started to make fake gagging sounds.

"Sorry… I thought we were going to see a repeat performance of my Will Smith burger." Liz playfully punched him on the arm. "Ow!"

"How's Maria doing?" Max asked, getting serious.

The three of them glanced in her direction. She was standing at the service window talking to Michael.

"She seems a bit better in spirit, but she looked like hell this morning. I'm beginning to wonder how much of what we're seeing now is just and act to make us stop asking her what's wrong."

In the blink of an eye, Maria and Michael's friendly conversation became loud. "JUST GIVE IT TO ME!" she said fiercely, trying to pull away the bowl in Michael's hand. Liz, Max and Alex watched as the bowl flew out of his hands and spilled all over the frail girl.

* * *

Maria walked over to the window and leaned in. "Michael?"

He looked up from the grill. "Yeah?"

"Table 6 claims that their Interstellar Chili is cold. Can you zap it?"

Michael glanced around nervously, making sure that Jose didn't hear. "Maria — shhhh. You know I can't—"

"I meant *microwave* it, Michael." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh." He took the bowl away and stuck it in the small microwave for two minutes. //Ha, ha… that'll teach em to complain!// he thought, going back to the grill to check on the other orders. When the microwave beeped, Michael looked over to the window to find Maria still there, staring at him like he was about to sprout an extra head.

"Wha—"

"Nothing," she shook her head. "Table 6 — chili?"

"Right. So are you coming over to my place after work?"

A hint of panic crossed Maria's face, though she quickly covered it. "No. I should go home tonight."

"Why? Come on, Maria. I really think that we should spend some time together."

"I can't talk about this right now. Just give me table 6's food, so I can get back to work, okay."

The expression on Michael's face turned mischievous. "I'll give you the chili when you promise you're coming home with me."

She reached through the window in an attempt to take the bowl out of his hands. "Michael, I am not going to play this game with you. Give me the food." He resisted. "JUST GIVE IT TO ME," she said loudly, tugging harder.

Noticing the attention they were gathering, Michael finally let go of the chili, ant the same time Maria made a final pull on it. The result was that the entire bowl of hot chili flew at the small blonde, spilling all over her arm and uniform. A scream of pain escaped her lips.

Liz ran over to her injured friend, pulling her into the back room. "Maria, are you okay?"

Michael ran out of the kitchen with a wet towel and approached the girls. "I'm sorry, Maria." He tried to wipe with chili off her arm, but she pulled away.

"Just don't!" she said harshly, through clenched teeth. Michael backed up, handing the towel to Liz.

The brunette wiped the chili away and gasped at the severe burns on Maria's arm. "What does your arm feel like?'

"Well let's see… it feels like… it feels like some moron dumped chili all over it." Michael shied away further. "And then there's this intense prickly burning sensation that you don't even want me to completely describe."

Liz wrapped the injured area with a clean, cool towel. "Michael, go get Max." She lad Maria over to the couch. "You're going to have to go to the hospital."

"What? No… No way. It's not that bad."

"Yes it is. That prickly feeling means there's some serious dermal damage. Your skin blistered on contact. That's bad."

"I'm fine. I'm not going to the hospital."

The guys entered the back room. "Max, can you take her to the ER?"

"I'm NOT going."

"Don't be stupid, Maria. You look like crap…" Alex started.

"Thanks, Alex. Boy, with friends like you—"

"You know what I mean, Maria."

Max moved over to her, carefully taking the towel away. "This is bad… but the hospital is not your only choice. I could heal it."

"NO!" Maria, Michael and Liz all said at the same time.

Alex was surprised. "Why can't he? That will be better than you going to the ER."

Liz spoke first. "He's right…"

"But?" Max prompted.

She stared at the floor. "But nothing. It's the best choice."

Max leaned in close to her. "I'm with you, Liz… I've always felt something for you, and my healing you had nothing to do with forming those feelings. I've always felt this way, and I always will."

Liz took advantage of his closeness, and kissed him. "I know."

The dark alien challenged the others. "So what's your issue?" he asked Michael and Maria.

"Nothing," they both mumbled.

Alex piped in. "I'll keep watch—"

"No. He's not doing anything," Maria said firmly.

"It's either Max or the hospital… you chose."

She sat silently contemplating her choices, visibly not liking either. "What about a hand print… that will be hard to hide on my arm."

"There won't be one. This isn't as serious as Liz's gunshot wound. There will be a small connection, then I can heal you. No evidence… no scars."

Maria took a deep breath. "Alex, watch the door."

"Yes, Ma'am." He dutifully moved over to cover both the dining room doorway and the kitchen doorway, calling into the kitchen. "Don't worry, Jose. She's fine… yeah — Michael will be back in a second… tell Jen to cover the floor until they come back…"

Max removed the towel, then gingerly touched the raw, blistered area on her arm. She winced slightly.

"Sorry."

"Just get it done, Max."

His breathing became labored and shallow as he connected with her.

**FLASH** Maria's reaction when Liz told her about Max being an alien.

**FLASH** A lone shadow figure standing in the distance, red eyes glowing.

**FLASH** Maria laying on the floor of the CrashDown, a pool of blood spreading out around her, a tear streaking down her cheek as Michael looks on, impassive.

After a moment, Max's eyes opened and he pulled his hand away from her arm revealing a fresh patch of new skin. Maria tenderly ran her fingers over the area.

"Thanks," she murmured quietly.

He grinned at her. "All part of the service…"

Maria's gaze flickered to her ruined uniform. "I don't suppose you do dry cleaning?" Max waved his hand over the stains and they disappeared. "We should get back, you know — the daily grind."

Liz stopped her. "We'll get back… you get to sleep."

"No! Come on, I'm fine now. Max fixed me."

He shook his head. "You *should* get some rest, Maria. It'll do you good."

"Great — my hero. Fine… I guess you guys are right," she stared to gather her stuff and moved towards the door.

"Use my room."

"My room will be acceptable, mother."

"Do me a favor, okay? It'll settle *my* nerves, if nothing else."

"Fine," she repeated. I'm off to bed."

"Michael, why don't you—"

"I KNOW where your room is, Liz."

"*My* nerves, Maria!"

"Right… whatever, Cyrano. Let's go, Michael."

* * *

Michael had no clue why Liz sent him up to her room with Maria, so he did the most manly thing he could think of… he checked the closets and bathroom for intruders. 

"Who do you think is hiding up here, Michael? The Closet Monster?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No," he replied, gruffly. "So do you want to talk about it?"

"The Closet Monster? Really, he's a closed subject… very hush-hush."

"The reason you've been so horrible to be around lately. You've been knocking into me all week, and that's if you even talk to me. What did I do? What's wrong with you?"

She shifted her eyes to study the carpet. "Nothing."

"Yeah? Well it's an awful lot of nothing from what I can see. Wanna try again?"

"Tell you what, Michael… why don't you leave me alone. Dr. Max has ordered me to get some sleep and I can't do that with you here."

He stormed towards the exit, an air of anger surrounding him. "Well that's not what you said a few days ago," Michael mumbled, pulling the door closed firmly behind him.

* * *

Liz finished closing up the café and said goodnight to Max and Michael, locking the front doors and lowering the shades. It had been about seven hours since she sent Maria upstairs, and the brunette hoped her best friend was able to get some rest.

She entered her room quietly, noting the peaceful, smooth breathing of Maria's sleep. Liz quietly crossed the room and climbed out onto the balcony, removing her journal from the secret place she hid it every night. Settling into the old lawn chair under the stars, Liz began to write about the day.

JOURNAL ENTRY:

::I'm really beginning to worry about Maria. She's acting so unlike her self it's creepy. It's weird… a few months ago, before all this happened with Max, I would wonder if she's doing drugs, or something like that, but now all I can wonder is: What if this is some strange side effect of her relationship with Michael? What if this happens to me in a few weeks or months… or tomorrow? And, am I always going to be this paranoid about things as long as I'm with Max?::

Liz pulled a crocheted throw that her grandmother made around her shoulders and sighed. The long, deep exhale of breath was interrupted though, by Maria's panicked shrieks inside the apartment.

"NO! WHY WON'T YOU SAVE ME!?! WHY ARE YOU GOING TO LET ME DIE?!?" she screamed, thrashing around.

The other girl ran back into the room. "Maria? MARIA! It's Liz… Wake up!"

***  


To be continued….


	2. ...we have our dreams...

The other girl ran back into the room. "Maria? MARIA! It's Liz… Wake up!"

After one last attempt to tear away from Liz, Maria abruptly jolted into consciousness. "A dream… it was just a dream," she said, her words a jumble of relief that the other girl didn't quite comprehend.

"What? What is going on?"

"Nothing," Maria mumbled, massaging her temples.

Liz stepped back, placed her hands to her hips and looked on with a stern seriousness. "Maria," she started her tone full of warning, "what are you not telling me?"

"Nothing, Liz… really, it's nothing. I've just been having these dreams… uh, nightmares. They're, you know, really scaring me. But they're just dreams… I'll cope."

"Nightmares? What are they about?"

"Things… Stuff…" Maria stood, gathering her belongings. "Listen, I can't talk to you about this right now, Liz. I have to go home… I'm sorry." The teen looked so weary, "I'm sorry…" she repeated.

Not sure what to do, Liz followed her best friend down the stairs and into the dark alley, calling after her. "Maria? Maria!" She was no where to be seen, almost as if she vanished into the night. Parker ran out to Main Street, searching around frantically, then accepted the fact that Maria was gone.

Liz walked back down the darkened alleyway, then climbed the fire escape onto her balcony, shocked to find Max there waiting for her.

"Max," she said with a hint of panic in her voice causing him to turn towards her, "what's wrong?"

"Where's Maria?"

"She went home." A red flag popped up in her mind, "Why?"

"Don't be concerned… I just wanted to talk to her," he replied, reaching for her hand.

"Ha – me? Concerned? Never. I mean, you stop by my bedroom every night looking for Maria. Just another normal day in Roswell."

Her sarcasm caused him to wince. "I don't want to worry you—"

"Too late. Tell me."

Max wavered, uncertainty shining in his deep brown eyes. Liz knew him too well… after all she *has* seen his soul. "I needed to talk to her about what I saw when I healed her. Things didn't make sense."

A crease of apprehension formed between Liz's brows. "What things?"

"I can't tell you." At his girlfriend's stricken expression, Max spoke on. "These things I see... they're personal… Maria's personal things. I can't tell you what I see with her, just like I won't tell her what I see with you."

"Max… what if… what if this is something, uh, alien? What if it's all my fault for getting her into this situation? I'll never forgive myself if something happens to her because of me. She's my best friend." Liz pulled her hand away from him, and leaned back onto the balcony ledge.

"This isn't your fault, Liz," Max nudged her chin up so that she had to look at him. "Don't ever think that, okay?" She nodded, and he released her. "Did she mention anything about what's been going on?"

The girl nodded again, "She said she's been having nightmares."

"Nightmares?" he paused, reflecting on the visions he saw earlier. "That could explain the inconsistencies in her flashes." Max sat next to her, and tenderly caressed her cheek.

Liz shyly smiled, the tingles of his touch pushing away her fear. "Is this something you can fix, Max?"

"I don't know…" Max replied, honestly, "but I'll talk to Maria in the morning and see what I can find out. Okay?"

"Okay," she agreed, though somewhat hesitantly.

"Good… now try and get some sleep. We'll figure this all out." Max kissed her goodnight, then carefully climbed down the ladder.

* * *

Maria quietly entered her house, trying not to wake her mother. Stopping in the kitchen, she got a glass of water so that she could take more pills to stay awake. As she swallowed the last of her bottle of ginseng, Amy called out to her from the living room.

"Maria, sit down. I learned a piece of most interesting information today."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I dropped a batch of pies to Jeff and Nancy today at the CrashDown, while you were on break. I mentioned to Nancy how much I appreciated her letting you spend the night so Liz could help you study. And she informed me that Liz was grounded. She's been grounded for three weeks, so you never came over that day, or any day for almost a month. Can you explain this?" Maria shook her head silently. "I told her that I must have gotten the names mixed up. Then, who do I see cooking in the kitchen, but my favorite wrestler and houseguest, Michael. Do you know what Nancy tells me when I ask how long he's been working there? About a month… ever since the judge approved his emancipation… because he needs rent money for his new apartment. How come you never told me that he has his own apartment?"

"It wasn't important, Mom."

"It wasn't important?!?" Amy repeated, her voice raising several octaves. "It wasn't important to let me know that there was the potential for you to be sleeping around with a guy in his own place with no parental supervision? You didn't think that was important?!?"

"Calm down, it's not like that."

"Oh then, come on, Maria. Tell me… explain to me what it's like. Tell me, because I want to know. What part of this isn't what it seems like?"

"The fact that we're not having sex, we're just sleeping."

"That's unacceptable. I vaguely recall having this conversation before, Maria, the last time you were caught 'sleeping, but not sleeping' with a boy."

Maria sighed. "And I told you then to trust me."

"How can I trust you when you're lying to me? You lie about where you go, who you're with, what you're doing. I can't trust you."

"Well I can't talk to you *right* now about this, so just drop it!"

"I am not going to drop it. I'm the mother. I get to decide when this conversation is over, and it's not!"

"God, Mom! You have no clue what is even going on!" Maria shouted, exasperated.

"By all means, Maria, enlighten me."

"I can't, okay. I'm — I got to go — I'm going."

"Where are you going?"

"Out."

"No you're not, young lady."

"Try and stop me." Maria turned to face her mother, glaring at the older woman. "Don't you get it? I'm not you — I'm not going to make the same mistakes you did, Mom. I'm not going to screw up my life like you did yours." Amy was so shocked that she would say something like that, she couldn't even move as Maria went to the door and opened it.

Finally she found her voice. "Maria — wait, don't leave. Maria! If you leave, don't even think about coming back here."

The teen didn't even acknowledge her mother as she walked out into the rainy night.

* * *

He hadn't seen her outside of school or work for almost a whole week. Just when Michael thought that things were going well between Maria and him, she had pulled away, leaving him out in the cold with no absolutely clue why. But now, here she was at his front door, shivering in the warm rain. He could only think of the time he was in her same position… right after his big fight with Hank. 

The spiky-haired alien reached out for Maria's hand to lead her into the room. Her skin was like ice. "Jesus, Maria… you're freezing. What happened?" he asked, wrapping a blanket around her slight body.

"I don't — I don't know why I'm here. There's something crazy going on… and I can't handle it anymore," her voice was flat, emotionless, and frankly, it scared Michael to hear her sound like that. He kissed her forehead, then stared into her eyes. They seemed hollow. It was beyond the dark-circles and the complete set of matched luggage under her normally bright brown eyes… there was something missing… "I got into a fight with my mom. I need a place to stay."

"Yeah, of course. Do you want to talk about it? You've been a little moody lately."

"I just need some sleep, Michael. What I don't need is another person to analyze my issues. I thought you would understand that," she tossed the blanket onto the floor and moved towards the door. "I guess I was wrong."

He couldn't let her go back out into the night in this condition. "Maria, wait! I'm sorry." Michael pulled her close, feeling the heat from his own body seep into her. "Stay here, no questions asked." 

Maria nodded, submitting to the strength of his arms around her. He led her over to the bed, pausing for just a moment to get her an oversized, dry tee shirt. She didn't even protest when he tugged her drenched shirt over her head in one swift motion, replaced it with his, and then removed her pants. She leaned into him, as he helped her into a pair of his cleanest boxers. There was nothing sexual about the whole ordeal, just a feeling of safety with him. Michael laid her down onto the mattress, covering her with a dry blanket, and started to back away. His heart almost exploded when she whimpered.

"Where are you going?" she reached out for him.

"I didn't think you'd want me to — I was going to sleep on the couch."

It was her turn to pull him close. "No, I want you… I need you to stay with me… please."

Michael lay down beside her, wrapping his arms around her shivering body, and felt her surrender to sleep almost instantly. He studied her face for a moment, then fell asleep himself.

* * *


	3. ...to light the way.

Maria awoke, surprised to find herself in the middle of Devou Park. A light breeze swept through her hair, and she spun around to see a group of children playing merrily on a nearby playground. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Michael sitting in the middle of a large blanket, a picnic spread out around him.

He called over to her, "Come on, Maria… the chicken salad's gonna go bad and hijack the pickle relish," the sandy haired boy said playfully.

With a confused look on her face, she jogged over to him and settled onto the soft blanket. "What is this all about?"

Michael smiled… an actual genuine grin that warmed the female about twenty degrees more than the bright sun. "I just thought you needed a break."

"Be careful, Michael," she warned, her tone resulting in a worried expression from him. "This falls dangerously close to actual boyfriend activity. I could expect this all the time."

His grin widened, "I guess we'll see."

After a few minutes of pure joy on Maria's part, she popped a fresh grape in her mouth and leaned back, drinking in the sunlight. "I knew coming here would make it all go away, Michael. I knew that you would make it all better," she said, then snuggled up to his side on the blanket.

"Nothing good lasts forever." 

She tensed at the change in his tone, then looked up into his eyes. The kindness that was present only seconds ago was gone, and Maria's heart filled with fear. "What?"

The alien stood, knocking her to the side like a limp rag doll, "It's time to go."

"Where are we going?"

"Not us, me. He's come for me." Before she was able to ask where he was going, Michael raised his hand and simply pointed up with his forefinger. "I'm going home, Maria… My limo has arrived."

Following his gesture, she craned her head back. Maria noted the quickening difference in the hue of the sky, changing from beautiful blue, darkening to purplish-blue, then eventually black. As the day deepened into night, a vague silhouette of a silver craft became increasingly illuminated, and as it descended to the earth, it's size grew. Eventually it landed about twenty meters from the duo.

"Bu-but you can't leave, Michael… this isn't right."

"I can't stay, there's nothing here for me," he started towards the craft, but was slowed when she grabbed his legs.

The tears began to flow, as Maria's greatest fear was coming to life. "I'm here! You have me! Stay… stay for me."

He brushed her off, "You're nothing to me. My people are waiting." 

Maria struggled to her feet, and as she did caught her first glimpse of who was waiting by the craft. There was a tall man, his stature more imposing than his actual height, who just didn't seem quite… right. Not really human. But next to him was Isabel, smiling and motioning emphatically for Michael to join them. 

"No! Michael!" her cries were wrought with anguish, her face flushed with pain. "Why are you doing this to me?? How can you leave me like this??"

When he reached the craft, Michael joined hands with the other aliens. Glancing back at the emotional human, his eyes glowed the brightest red she had ever seen.

* * *

"Why are you doing this to me?? How can you leave me like this??"

Michael awoke in a panic by Maria's thrashing and crying, but tried to calmly wake her from the obvious nightmare she was having.

"Maria… Maria… shhh… It's okay, I'm here."

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" she yelled, flailing her arms around. "Oh, God, I can't take this anymore… Make it stop, please."

"Shhh… it's all right. It was just a dream."

Maria backed away from him on the bed. "It's you… you were there… you're doing this to me!" she angrily shouted.

The alien was confused. "What are you talking about? When was the last time that you had a good night's sleep, Maria?" he asked.

"How can I? What you're doing to me is terrifying, Michael. Don't sit there and pretend that you care… pretend that you don't have a clue what I'm talking about. Just make it stop! Stop getting into my head, you alien freak!"

Her words were like a slap to the face for Michael. Maria is the one girl that he felt comfortable about his "uniqueness" with, and now to hear her call him a freak, cut like a knife.

"Hey, I'm not doing anything," he protested. "I thought I was doing you a favor letting you stay here."

"You know what, I don't need your favors, Michael!" She jumped up, and bolted for the door, only wearing his oversized tee shirt and a pair of boxers. "Stay out of my dreams!!" Maria yelled over her shoulder as she ran from the house.

"Maria… Maria — Wait!"

Afraid about how she would react if he followed her, Michael picked up the phone and dialed, calling the only person he knew could help him.

"Hello?" a voice answered, groggily.

"Max, wake up. We… I have a problem."

"What? What is it, Michael?" he asked, testily, glancing at the clock. "It's 3:30. Can't this wait?"

"No. It's Maria. She just ran out of my apartment… and she's… uh… real upset."

Michael heard his friend straighten up in bed on the other end of the line. "What did you do? You guys didn't…" he trailed off.

"If it's any of your business, Maxwell, no we didn't. She was just here to sleep."

"I'll be right over."

Michael cleared his throat. "Can you stop by Liz's and see if she went there? I'm… you know… worried."

"Should I go to her house, too?

"She wouldn't go home. Maria got into a fight with her mom."

"Okay, I'll see you in a few."

Michael hung up the phone and walked over to his front window and tried to peer out into the pouring rain, but to no avail. No Maria and he was starting to feel like there was no hope.

* * *

A soggy Maria DeLuca sat alone, hiding out in a corner booth of Roswell's only all-night coffee shop. The Buzz was nearly empty, except for a few regulars over at the counter, talking quietly amongst themselves. She was on her sixth cup of coffee in less than a half-hour.

The waitress refilled the teen's cup again, noticing the state that she was in. "Hon, are you okay? You seem a bit fidgety."

Maria didn't even look up. "I'm fine," she said flatly.

"Are you sure—" 

A glare from the blonde stopped the waitress. "I said I am fine."

"Well, you don't look fine, Hon. You've been drinking this coffee like it's the only thing left to drink in the world, and you're wearing pajamas. You look like hell…" She motioned to the others at the counter, "Tommy and Hal think—"

"I don't care what Tommy and Hal think, all right. How much for the coffee?" she asked, curtly.

"It's on me. I can leave here in a few minutes… Hal can watch the shop, if you need me to drive you somewhere. There's a shelter not too far away."

The blonde sixteen year old stood, "I'm FINE! I don't need your help or your advice!" She stumbled out of the booth and fled through the door into the rain.

* * *

Less than forty-five minutes after Michael got off the phone with his best friend, the jeep pulled up in front of his apartment. Max, Liz and Isabel all jumped out, but the dark haired girl reached the open door first. 

"Is she back, Michael?" she asked, frazzled, motioning to the red Jetta parked next to Max's car.

"No. She ran out of here with no coat, no money, no keys… and no car." He ushered them inside out of the rain that had not lessened all night. "She's your friend, Liz. Where would she go?"

"Slow it down… you need to tell us what happened between you two," Max said, sitting on the couch next to his girlfriend. Isabel stood silently, noticeably apart from the rest of the group.

"I don't know… she's been so on edge lately, and I told you Friday that she's been avoiding me… Everything sets her off. I've seen it at school, at work… and I've heard about it from home."

Liz nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think that she's been having trouble sleeping — bad dreams all night long. I don't think she's slept more than four hours this past week with all the ginseng, and other herbs she's been taking."

Isabel moved closer, sitting down on the chair opposite the other three. "What were the dreams about?"

"She never really went into detail about them. You, Michael? Did she tell you?"

He shook his head. "I hardly even knew about it until tonight. She's been staying away from me all week… ever since the—" Michael glanced at the tall alien girl to his left, leaving the sentence unfinished. "Tonight she got into it with Amy—"

"Amy?" Isabel asked, confused.

"DeLuca. Maria's mom. She wouldn't tell me the grit of it, but she was real upset. That's when she mentioned the nightmares, kinda of." Michael slammed his fist down onto the coffee table. "Dammit," he said, anger flashing in his eyes. "I should have called you guys right away. Instead we just went to bed." He pursed his lips and stared at an invisible spot on the wall. "She told me once that she always slept better when I was with her."

Isabel stood. "God, Michael… how long have these sleep-overs been going on?" 

"That's none of your damn business, Iz," he barked, standing to confront her.

She inched her face closer, not willing to back down. "I think it is *my* business if your neurotic slumber party pal's sleep difficulties are causing me to be awake at four AM."

Max stepped between them, "Calm down! Both of you!"

"I am not going to calm down, Max!" Isabel yelled. "I have been waiting for the crazy blonde to spaz out so that I could look at the two of you and say, 'I told you so'!"

Michael tried to push the pseudo-referee aside, but Max held his ground. "Maria is not crazy! You're doing this, aren't you, Isabel. You're going into her dreams to creep her out, all because you're jealous. You're bitter cause you're alone. And we all know how you like you play around in people's dreams. Don't we, Max?"

Liz walked out from behind her boyfriend, and stared at his sister. "Isabel — you're not doing this, are you? I mean, cause if you are, Maria's really freaked."

Isabel could only just stand there, openmouthed. 

Sitting back down on the couch, Michael placed his head in his hands, and took a deep breath. Then he focused back onto the tall blonde standing over him. "She accused me of getting into her dreams tonight… changing them to scare her. Someone was in there, purposely messing with her mind and Maria knew it. I never thought that it would be you, Isabel."

"I didn't do anything to her…" she turned away from them.

"What was she doing when you told her that Maria was missing, Max?"

"She was sleeping."

"Of course I was sleeping… IT IS the middle of the night, " she said, indignantly.

He worked his fingers through his mussed hair, ignoring Isabel's outburst. "Did she have her yearbook out?"

Max closed his eyes, hesitating to answer. Then he opened his brown eyes, knowing that everyone except Isabel was staring at him. He slowly nodded his head, and Liz reached out to take his hand for reassurance. "Yeah, she did."

"Case closed."

Isabel spun on her heel to face her 'friends', tears streaming from her eyes. "No, it's not. I never thought that you could pass judgment on me so easily." 

"Well, when it comes to the fact that you're terrorizing my girlfriend—"

"God, Michael!" she exclaimed. "She's not your girlfriend. A girlfriend is someone you're willing to acknowledge in public. What you have is an Eraser Room partner and a slumber bunny." Isabel took a deep, calming breath, trying to get her bearings. She swiped at her eyes to dry the wetness. 

"Look, I know what you think — all of you — and I admit that the evidence does not look good in my favor, but I was not in Maria's dream tonight or any night since right after she found out what we are. I didn't do anything to her. Maria is my friend now too, you know, and I realize that my reaction a few days ago was way overboard. As much as I hate to admit it, she's saved us… me… enough times that I wouldn't do this to her. Did you ever stop to think that there is another alien out there, Michael?"

"Max wouldn't—"

"Not Max." She knelt, facing him. "Nasedo — he's out there and we don't know what he's like."

"I don't want to hear this."

"Of course you don't, Michael. You want to keep thinking that Nasedo is our father, and he's just going to come along and make everything all right… but you have to deal with the fact that he might not be. He could be a cold-blooded killer and that's an issue that's not going to go away. What ever happened to Hank?"

"What?" Michael questioned, surprised that she would mention his former foster father.

"Hank… have you heard anything from him?"

"No, and I never want to. What does that drunken bastard have to do with this? Valenti told the judge that he took off to Carlsbad with some woman."

"Have you ever tried to 'see' where he is? You know, dreamwalk into his head?"

Michael was clearly frustrated. "No — you know that I can't do it as easily as you. What are you trying to accomplish, other than changing the subject? We need to get out there and find Mar—"

She cut him off. "Hank's dead, Michael."

The color drained from the sandy hair boy's face, as his best friend leaned forward. "How do you know this, Iz?"

Still on her knees, she reached out and ran her hands over the mottled shag carpeting. "I wanted to see where he was, uh… make sure that he was never coming back, so I tried to walk into his dreams one night. He's not there anymore."

"Maybe he just wasn't sleeping," Liz offered.

Isabel shook her head. "There's a difference. I can still feel a non-sleeping person's presence if I try to get into their dream. With Hank there's nothing. It's empty." She glanced at her brother. "Like the time I tried to find Great-Grandma Ethel after she died. I think Nasedo killed Hank — I think you're right, Max. He's dangerous."

"We don't have time for your accusations against Nasedo. All you're trying to do is change the subject," he repeated.

"She does have a point, Michael," Max jumped in.

"Yeah? Well, you know what, Maxwell? While we're all here yapping, taking a walk down memory lane, *my* girlfriend," he said staring sharply at Isabel, "is out there alone, lost, scared. I need to find her."

Max understood all so well. He would be going crazy if it were Liz out there. "I hear what you're saying, but we're not getting anywhere with you insisting on blaming Isabel."

"Hey, I place blame where blame is due." Changing gears, he asked, "Where do you think she'd go?"

"Where would you go if you were afraid to sleep? I'm thinking someplace where she can try to stay awake," the group all stood, preparing to leave while Max continued. "She has no keys or money, so she can't have gotten too far. Liz and I—"

Michael put on his leather jacket. "No… I'll go with Liz. You take Isabel and the Jeep; we'll take Maria's car. Keep in touch on the cell."

Max took Liz's hand then leaned in for a tender kiss. "Don't worry… we're going to find her." 

Liz could only nod numbly as they walked out into the pouring rain to begin the search.

* * *

Maria was lost… she had no clue as to how she got all the way out to the cliffs without her car. Suddenly, Liz was walking next to her.

"Liz, help me! Help me, Liz… I'm losing it here…" she reached out her hand towards her best friend.

"It's okay, Maria. I won't let him hurt you anymore."

"Him?"

"Michael. He's evil. He's the one who's been tainting your dreams, trying to make you go crazy." Liz glanced over her shoulder then focused back onto the petite blonde with a look of panic on her face. "We have to go now, Maria. He knows where you are and he wants to finish his plan." She lowered her voice to a whisper, "He's going to kill you."

"No!" Maria cried.

"We must hide across the canyon. Come with me."

Maria looked on in a daze. "But how can we cross here? We'll fall."

"No, Max taught me things. He told me how to defy gravity. It's one of his powers. Watch."

Liz walked up to the lip of the cliff and confidently walked out into the open air. She moved about ten feet out, then turned back to her friend.

"Come on, Maria. Trust me… I'm Liz."

* * *

Isabel drove in silence, sneaking glances at her brother out of the corner of her eye. "Please say that you know it's not me doing this, Max."

"Even if I don't believe it? Do you want me to just say it to make you feel better?"

"No… I want you to believe it. You're my brother… you should know me better than anyone." She sighed, "What can I do to make you trust me?"

"Tell me the truth, Iz. What were you doing with your yearbook if you weren't dreamwalking?"

"I was."

"What?" 

"I was dreamwalking… but not Maria. It was Alex."

Max was confused, "Alex? Alex Whitman? I – I thought you—"

"He was talking to Stacy Owens today… actually, he's been talking to her a lot lately. I just wanted to know if he… you know…" Isabel trailed off her words

He stared at her, "You're jealous of Alex talking to another girl?"

"NO!" Isabel said hastily, then reconsidered, "Yes. Kind of… It's just, I mean… he knows about us… about me… and he wasn't freaked out or anything. What if he's my last chance of normalcy?"

"Don't do this, Isabel."

The blonde glanced at him, an expression of utter confusion on her face. "Do what?"

"Alex… he's a nice guy and he really seems to like you."

"And the problem lies where?" she asked.

"If you genuinely like him back, then I'm all for it… but don't make him an object of convenience. He deserves better."

Isabel tried not to be angry mostly because she knew her brother was right, but the ringing of her cell phone cut off any answer she would have given him. Max quickly picked it up.

"Liz?" he asked urgently.

"Yeah, it's me. We have her."

* * *

Finally the search team of Liz and Michael found a clue… a person who saw Maria tonight. On a whim, Michael pulled the Jetta into the parking lot of a 24-hour coffee shop that he visited once when he was avoiding Hank. The two teens walked in and were greeted by a pleasant waitress.

"Hey kids, what can I do for you?"

Liz pulled out a picture of herself, Maria and Alex, handing it to the older woman. "Hi… uh… Bonnie," Liz began, glancing at the woman's nametag. "We're, um, looking for a friend. Her name is Maria. You haven't seen her, have you?" she asked for what seemed like the millionth time that night.

The waitress studied the picture for a second. "Yeah, she was here."

Michael turned away, accustomed to a negative response. "Well, it was worth a try. Let's go—"

"I said I served her here. About twenty minutes ago."

The alien's heart (or comparable organ) jumped into his throat. "What? Are you sure? Look harder."

"Yeah, that's her. She looked a bit… rougher tonight, but she was the same girl. She sat at that table," Bonnie gestured to the empty booth, "and drank coffee like her life depended on it."

Michael was drawn over to where the waitress said Maria sat. He pressed his hands on to the cool Formica table, wondering about her, hoping that she was okay. In the background, he could hear Liz continue to ask the woman questions. Michael slid onto the cracked red vinyl of the booth seat, and was immediately struck with a vision. 

He stood and ran out of the restaurant. Liz and the waitress followed, continuing their conversation by the exit. During their search, the rain had lessened a bit and now it tapered into just a warm mist. Michael glanced around the outside of the shop, intently gazing through the haze for the familiar scene of his vision. Leaving Liz behind, he jogged down the deserted alleyway, until the alien sensed Maria's presence. Knocking aside some debris, Michael found her, pale and unmoving, unconscious between two large trashcans.

As he reached out to stroke her face, a flash of images entered his mind and Michael saw into Maria's dream. He could see Maria and Liz at the cliffs. He watched Liz urging Maria towards the edge… and he was afraid. He knew they did not have much time.

"Maria? Maria, can you hear me?" Michael asked, lifting her eyelids to check her eyes. All he could see were the whites rolling around. He called down the alley to his search partner. "Liz! Liz, I have her!"

Liz broke away from Bonnie and sped towards Michael. "Is she all right? Maria?" The brunette gasped at the sight of her best friend.

"She's in a nightmare… we need to get her back to my place." Michael covered the shivering girl with his jacket, trying to warm her. He then scooped her up into his arms and rushed to the car. As the teens passed the front door, Bonnie stepped out again. 

"Oh my… is she going to be okay? I tried to help her… drive her to that runaway shelter on Tumbleweed… but she wouldn't hear of it. Hon, you got to believe me, I tried—"

Michael whirled to face the woman, the intensity in his glare silencing her. "She is *not* a runaway," he said, glaring at her angrily.

"She's… um… sick, Bonnie." Liz put her hand on Michael's shoulder to try and calm him. He moved away from the two and climbed into the back seat with Maria still tightly wrapped in his arms. "Thank you for trying to help her. We were so worried that she was lost and alone."

The older woman's eyes were transfixed on the Jetta. "I'm not going to get sick like that, am I?" Bonnie asked, sounding more concerned than ever.

"No!" Liz said hastily. "I mean, no. Um…. Maria's not contagious…" She was trying to think of what to say next when Michael rolled down the car window.

"Let's go, Parker! She needs to get home now!"

"Thanks again," was all she could manage as she rushed to the car.

Liz threw the car in drive, causing the tires to squeal as she pulled away. Turning the first corner, she grabbed her cell phone off the passenger's seat and hit the speed dial for Isabel's phone. Max answered.

"Liz?" he asked urgently.

"Yeah, it's me. We have her and Michael and I are taking her back to his place. Meet us there," she replied her voice strained and tense. It took all she had not to burst out crying right then.

"How is she?"

Liz glanced in the rear view mirror at Michael and Maria. He was rocking her gently, whispering in her ear. Between words, he kissed her forehead. 

"Liz?" 

Max's concern touched Liz. Maria was his friend as much as hers. A distraught sob escaped the brunette's lips. "She doesn't look good, Max. I'm really scared."

Max wished he could be there to comfort her. He turned to his sister. "Go to Michael's. Drive faster." Into the phone, his voice changed… became softer. "Everything is going to be okay, Liz. Isabel and I will meet you guys at the apartment, and we'll figure this all out."

* * *

The jeep squealed to a stop about a minute after Liz pulled the Jetta into the parking area. Max and Isabel burst into the apartment to see Michael laying the unconscious blonde gently onto his bed. Maria's condition had worsened since they found her… her skin was so pale it was almost translucent and her breathing had become increasingly labored.

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Isabel. "What's happening to her?"

Max approached Liz, who was shaking in fear. He enveloped her into his embrace.

"Max," she cried, burying her face into his chest, "she's going to die, isn't she. Maria's going to…"

He reached down taking her chin gently in his hands, forcing her gaze upwards. "No — don't say that. Once we figure this out, we can help her."

Michael glanced over at his girlfriend's best friend. "I won't let her die, Liz," he swore to her.

"Did you try to wake her up?" Isabel asked.

"Boy, I would have never thought of that. Thanks, Iz," he scoffed. 

"I'm just trying—"

"Well don't!"

Max stepped forward. "Not now. We need to help Maria, not argue between ourselves."

"When I touched her in the alley, I saw into her dream."

The dark haired alien glanced sharply at his friend. "You didn't try to heal her, did you? You know…"

Anger flashed in Michael's eyes. "No, Max. Give me some credit. I know that I'm not as good at that as you guys. If I did something wrong…" he trailed off his words. "I just touched her. In her dream she's by the quarry with Liz… but that Liz was different — evil somehow. She was trying to force Maria near the edge."

"What would happen if she, um, fell off the cliff? I mean, she wouldn't…" Liz asked, quietly, tears drying on her cheeks.

"If someone is so deep into their dream that they don't even realize that it is one, it's possible that if they died in the dream, they would also die in real life," Max explained.

Liz backed away, "No! No! No!" she repeated over and over, shaking her head in disbelief.

He reached out for her. "Liz, listen to me. We're not going to let that happen. Okay?" Max nodded his head, and she mimicked the motion. "Good. Michael, do you think that you could see her dream again?"

"Yeah. She's so into it now that I could make a connection immediately."

Isabel stood. "This is ridiculous. We can't save her. We don't even know what's wrong. I think that we should take her to the hospital. Maybe they can help her."

Michael moved from the bedside and confronted Isabel. "And tell them what?? That Maria's been depriving herself of sleep because of bad dreams, and now she's so deep into one, which may or may not be caused by an evil alien, that we can't wake her and she could die. That'd go over real good. We," he said motioning to the three of them, "are her only hope."

"Michael, stop it. Isabel is not the cause of this, and she doesn't deserve to be treated that way," Max defended his sister.

"Whatever." Running his hands through his mussed hair, Michael sighed and turned away from the both of them. As he situated himself on the bed next to Maria, the alien looked up at them. "I'm going to fix this. You can either help or leave."

Liz stiffened at Max's side. She knew that Michael had no where near the amount of control on his powers as the other two did. Max led her over to the bed, and they both sat down next to the unconscious teen. "We're not going anywhere." Isabel joined them silently.

Michael hid the relief that he felt in that he wouldn't have to do all this alone, not that he ever thought that Max would skip out on helping. He reached out and tenderly stroked Maria's pale cheek, just as he did in the alleyway earlier. The flashes that he experienced were so intense, Michael took a sharp intake of breath.

****FLASH**** Maria as a child, being thrown into the air by her father as if she were a feather.

****FLASH**** Maria eight years old, searching out the window of her bedroom, waiting for her limo to arrive.

****FLASH**** Maria opening the door of the CrashDown that fateful day in December when they started their relationship with a flood of passion.

****FLASH**** Maria letting Michael into her bedroom the night he used his powers on Hank.

****FLASH**** A lone shadow figure standing in the distance, red eyes glowing.

****FLASH**** Maria laying on the floor of the CrashDown, a pool of blood spreading out around her, a tear streaking down her cheek as Michael looked on, impassive.

****FLASH**** Maria sunning herself while sitting on a blanket with Michael in Devou Park, a picnic spread all around them.

****FLASH**** Michael moving away from her, towards a craft and a man that he had never seen before. 

****FLASH**** Maria watching him leave with a devastated expression on her face and tears streaming from her eyes.

****FLASH**** Maria and Liz standing at the edge of the quarry, Liz urging her towards the edge.

Michael panicked, breaking the connection with her for a second to call out to his friend. "Hurry, Max. She's so close."

There was no hesitation on Max's part. He reached out, lifted the woolen blanket, and placed his hand on Maria's cold skin. Max detected Michael standing next to him on the dreamscape, both of them about twenty feet from Maria and the false Liz. Liz held out her hand to Maria, and spoke with urgency.

"Come on, Maria… Oh God! He's here. He found you." Liz took two steps to the blonde.

"No!" Maria spun to face the newcomers. "Stay away from me! You're evil and I won't let you finish your job."

Michael slowly closed the distance between them, hoping that she would not bolt for the edge as he walked. "I can't be evil, Maria."

A look of confusion crossed the girl's face. "Wh-why not?"

"Because I love you." The words were foreign to Michael. He'd never said anything like that before to anyone, and now they were out there, hanging on the edge of the cliff like the human he said them to. "If anything… being with you makes me… good." She stared at him dumbfoundly, not believing that he had just said those three words. "Come on. Come towards me. Step away form the edge."

"No, I can't! Liz says—"

"That's not Liz, Maria. All this is not real, it's a dream. I have Liz with me. We're all in my apartment waiting for you to wake up."

Outside the dreamscape, Liz and Isabel sat watching, waiting for a sign that Maria would be okay. Liz stared at the female alien.

"Aren't you going to help them?" she asked, motioning to the two boys, their eyes glazed over and vacant.

Isabel was sitting at the end of the bed, close to Maria's feet, and she drew her knees to her chest. The pose made the normally 'put-together' Isabel appear child-like and vulnerable. "I can't, Liz. I'm too… afraid. What if I did cause this?"

"Don't think that, Isabel," she said, adamantly. "You said that you didn't and I trust that."

"But—"

Suddenly Max's hand shot out from his still form and grabbed the brunette's wrist, bringing her into the dream and leaving Isabel all alone.

The bright sun of the dreamscape startled Liz, causing her to blink several times to adjust her eyes… the saw what Max and Michael saw. Maria near the edge, a girl with her own face floating over the chasm, and Michael trying to talk Maria towards him.

"Oh, God!" she gasped.

Michael glanced over his shoulder. "See! I have the real Liz here with me. That person behind you, isn't Liz… it's something bad… not right, and if you listen to her, you could die."

"Why should I trust you? It's not like you'd care if I died anyway," she said, her tone bitter and harsh.

The alien's face fell, and he took a precarious step towards her. "Why would you say something like that?"

"Because I heard what you said to Max… I heard you tell him that you wouldn't have healed me if I got shot at the Crashdown that day instead of Liz."

"Oh God. Maria, listen to me… you didn't hear everything I said…"

"I heard enough."

"No, listen—"

She clasped her hands over her ears, "Stop it! I don't even want to hear your excuses… You're evil, and you'll only be happy when you kill me yourself." Maria turned to walk towards the other Liz.

"Why did you come to my place tonight? After all those nightmares that you've been having, and hearing me say that to Max, why did you still come to me?"

The group could see that Maria was trembling with indecision, though she made no move to even look back at them. "I told you… I don't know. I didn't know what I was doing tonight. I just found myself there. I guess I hoped that you would be able to make it all go away."

Another step closer to her, "I can. I will, but first you have to come here. I can't help you until you're away from her."

"Maria, please listen to him. I'm afraid," Liz called out to her best friend.

The false Liz, hovering out in thin air, was not pleased to see that Michael and the others were talking Maria away from her. She spoke in the same tone as the real Liz just used. "Don't go to him… he's evil! I'm Liz, not her."

"Maria, no. Don't listen to her."

"I don't know who to trust anymore," she said flatly.

"Do you remember when we went to Marathon — when I abducted you? I tossed your cell phone out the window — Maria, you lied to the cop for me… You told me then that I owed you. You were right, I do. Let me have this chance."

The earnestness in his voice touched Maria. _//He really cares for me//_ she thought. She turned away frm the cliff to look at him. He stood there with his hand reaching out for her, beckoning her away from the edge. The girl put one foot in front of the other, then froze… behind Michael, Isabel appeared. Reminded of her first nightmares, Maria panicked and backed away from them, closer to the floating Liz.

The real Liz tried to move forward, "Maria, no!"

Max stopped her. "She's too close to the edge. You might spook her more."

Michael lowered his arm, glancing over his shoulder, then focused his attention back to her. "What? Isabel? Maria, she's here to help you, too. It's okay," he said in a soothing voice.

"She wants to take you away from me, Michael…" she whispered, tears forming. "That's what all those dreams meant. Isabel doesn't want us to be togeher."

"Isabel won't keep us apart. I told you before that I love *you*, and I do. When my whole world was falling apart, I came to you…because I knew that you would accept me completely. I trusted you with my heart… I knew you would be there for me. I need you Maria." Her tears were flowing freely now as he spoke. "When I'm with you, my world seems so much better. You're the one person I can feel 'normal' with—"

Hysterical laughter from behind the fragile blonde interrupted him and they all stared at the fake Liz. "That's not Michael, Maria. The Michael you know would never talk like that. I get it now… *he's* the impostor."

"No, I swear to you… it's me."

Maria's eyes became cold with suspicion. "Prove it."

"Uh… um…" he glanced at the others, not knowing what to say, but they could not help him. Finally it came to him. "The shoe tree!" he exclaimed.

"It was a napkin holder."

"Yeah, I know, but remember I thought it was a shoe tree… and you yelled at me that day for never thanking you for saving my life."

She smiled, remembering. "Yeah."

"And that's the day I knew I was madly in love with you."

"Really?!"

"Yep. That day you pretty much gave me an out on the whole deal. I could have just left things as they were, but I didn't. I didn't want what I could have with you to be like everything else in my life —something I run from."

Maria finally decided she could trust Michael. She moved forward on shaky legs to get closer to him, but the fake Liz reached out, her actions shrouded in fury. "No! You have to come with me!" She grabbed Maria's arm and pulled her toward the edge. 

The entire group tensed as Maria fell off the side of the cliff, and Michael lunged forward. "NO!!" 

The dreamscape seemed to slow, allowing him to get to the edge before Maria dropped out of sight, most likely to her death below. He was able to lock his grip around her tiny wrist, and pull her to the safety of his arms.

She stared up at him, the fear in her eyes subsiding "You saved me…"

"You trusted me. Hey, we make a good team." Michael smoothed the hair out of her eyes. "I could have a thousand Valenti's and Topolsky's after me, and you're the one person that I'd want by my side. I can't let you go and die on me."

The others came forward to confront the being that almost killed their friend. "Who are you?" Max asked, what seemed to his girlfriend.

"I am many things… and have been many people…" The familiar face of Liz began shifting and morphed from one person to the next, many of the faces the gang recognized. He stopped on the face of a Mexican rancher… one that Max and Liz knew.

"That was you!?" Liz exclaimed.

He didn't even acknowledge her. "I am here to protect you from all perceived threats, and I'll rectify the situation with all necessary outcomes."

Michael still had Maria in his arms. "Protect us? From our friends?"

The rancher stared at Isabel. "I am here to stop the source of your fear."

"What?"

"The girl fears this… human," he gestured to Maria, "and I am here to fix that."

Isabel was flustered, all the attention of the situation was on her. "I'm not afraid of her! I mean, I was… back when Valenti was pumping her for information, but not anymore."

"I wouldn't be here if you weren't still afraid of her."

They all looked at her. "Fine! All right, maybe I am." She turned to her brother. "Max, you have Liz… and I know that you're never going to let her go. If the time comes when we find out where we're from and we have the chance to go home, I know you're not going to come."

Liz stepped forward to comfort the tall alien. "Isabel—"

Isabel turned away to study Michael and Maria, cutting off her brother's soul mate. "Then there's you. From day one, home was all you could think about. You held the belief in our best rule: No Attachments. No matter what, I knew if… when… the time came, we'd leave together… even with out Max if we had to. But now, I see you falling for her more and more everyday. You're breaking your own number one rule and eventually I'll be alone… We'll never get home."

"Isabel," Michael said, his eyes penetrating her own, "for as long as I can remember, I've ALWAYS envied what you have… You have Max, your human parents, amazing control on your power, friends at school… All I had was you guys. Really better than having nothing at all, but still… You're my family… you have to love me because of where we're from, what we are. Just once it was nice to have someone who would love me for who I was… not because she has to, because she wants to. Please don't be afraid of that."

"I'm sorry, Michael… Maria... I never wanted to hurt either of you."

Max moved towards the rancher. "Are you Nasedo?"

He smiled, "If that is what you chose to call me, that is who I am."

The aliens fired questions at him all at once:

"Where have you been all this time?"

"What is our purpose here?"

"What have you been doing to Maria?"

"Patience, children. I am here protect you, and prepare you."

"Prepare us? For what?" Isabel asked.

"For your destiny. I have always been here… as you have seen. You have all met me before several times. And the human will be fine. I shall stop my assault on her, and tomorrow you will all remember this only vaguely."

"You," Max said, defiantly, "are a killer. How are we supposed to trust you?"

"I kill to protect—"

"Stop! Stop with the protect stuff. Atherton was your friend! River Dog saw you kill him. Sheila Hubble was a pregnant housewife. Maria — she's our —"

"Sheila Hubble was not the innocent that her husband portrayed her to be." Nasedo never once raised his voice… never showed any emotion over talking about someone he killed. "Had he known that, it would have saved him years of mental anguish and eventually his life. She was one of them… and she had to be destroyed."

"One of who? Why kill her?" Max asked, but Isabel interrupted.

"What's our destiny? Why have you not revealed yourself to us before?"

"It is not time… soon you will know…" The image of Nasedo began to fade away. 

"Wait!" Michael called out. "When? When will we know?" But Nasedo was gone.

* * *

They all awoke on Michael's bed, staring down at Maria's pale body. As the seconds passed, color began to return to her skin and she opened her eyes. "Thank you," was all she could manage to say. Michael pulled her upper body onto his lap, and he sat there not wanting to let go.

****

Coming next the epilogue!!

I love feedback! Tell me what you thought of it!


	4. Epilogue

# EPILOGUE:

_Journal entry:_

_ _

__

_:: 'In the dark of the moon, we have our dreams to light the path.'I don't quite remember who said that it's just something I recall from English class a few years ago.I feel like the author's name is on the tip of my tongue, I just can't quite grasp it.Kind of goes with the whole theme of the evening.We sat around for a bit tonight talking about what happened and it's apparent what Nasedo said is coming true:we only have vague memories of what occurred even ten minutes after Maria woke up.Isabel doesn't remember anything after touching Maria.You can tell that fact completely upsets her, so we tried to fill her in with what the rest of us remember.Max's strongest memory of the dreamscape is that Nasedo looked like me… something I also found rather freakish.Taking all of our memories and pooling them together, we've reconstructed most of the dream.Have you ever woken up after a bizarre dream and tried to tell it to someone?It's like… the more you try to describe it, and the more and more ridiculous it sounds.Maria remembers Michael saving her from falling off the cliff.As far as memories go, I guess that's a fairly nice one to have.He remembers having to tell Isabel not to be afraid, though he can't think of why.That leaves me… what do I remember? ::_

"Liz?"Her flow of writing was broken when Max called up to her in a loud whisper.In a heartbeat, the dark-haired alien was at her side.

"Checking up on me, Max?" Liz asked jokingly.

"I just wanted to wish you sweet dreams."

She smiled, "Oh they will be.After tonight, I'm ready for a good nights sleep.You should be too."

As to validate her statement, he involuntarily yawned."Yeah, I guess you're right.I just wanted to see you."

"Thank you, Max… thank you for helping Maria tonight…" she began to say all in a rush, though she didn't know why she felt the need to say it so urgently.

And he hushed her, "There's no need, Liz…"

Liz wanted to tell him everything in her heart, but a muffled sound of movement inside her house stopped her."You should go before my parents realize you're here, and yours realize you're not."

Leaning in to kiss her, he whispered in her ear, "Sweet dreams, Liz Parker."

She closed her eyes, savoring the nearness of his body, the sensation of his warm breath on her cheek, and when she opened them, Max was gone."Sweet dreams," she whispered in reply.

After a moment, the teen settled back into her lawn chair and began writing in her worn leather journal again.

_::As for me, I remember it all.Everything.Though, like the others, my recollection of the events are fading too… more and more they're seeming like a hazy distant memory.I wanted to get it all down in here before it was all gone.Nasedo is their protector… makes me wonder who they are to need protection… or what they need protection from.But nothing makes me wonder more than one word the alien said tonight.DESTINY.It's amazing how one word can seem so big… so ominous.He said they have one – a destiny.Five hours ago, destiny was just a word… a predetermined __course of events considered as something beyond human power or control__… but now it was so much more… too much more.Everything is fading now and I'm fighting just to stay awake.I guess it means I should go to bed, though I know when I wake up, all my memories of tonight will be gone.I should have told Max what I remember, but I didn't.Why?I'll never know.It's time, I can't fight sleep any longer, but I just have to keep writing… What is this destiny Nasedo talked about?When they find out will there still be room for me in his life? Who was that blonde girl on the edge of the ravine past Nasedo?And why was I the only one to see her?::_

Liz finally surrendered to the overpowering fatigue.She placed the journal in her secret safe spot, climbed back into her room and curled into a ball, falling to sleep immediately.

***

Michael sat back comfortably on his bed, waiting for Maria to finish in the shower.He ran over the few details of the night that he actually remembered.The one that was stuck in his head, he never mentioned to the group and no one else seemed to remember it.He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

**FLASH**:"Because I love you… If anything… being with you makes me… good."

The words were true, he meant them with all his heart, but he didn't know if he could say them again to her…He wanted to, more than anything he wanted to. Michael didn't know what to do because he knew by tomorrow he knew the memory of his confession would be gone.

"Penny for your thoughts, Space Boy…"

He looked up, startled out of his reverie by Maria walking into the room.//Now's your chance, // he thought, but chickened out."Nothing."

She crossed the short distance to his bed and settled down next to him, her mood turning somber "So, uh, I almost died tonight, didn't I?" 

"Uh-huh."

"And you saved me, didn't you?" Maria continued, edging closer.

Michael intertwined his fingers with hers, hoping it would soothe her."Uh-huh," he repeated.

"I really owe you big time, don't I?"

"Uh—" the diminutive blonde shushed him by placing her index finger on his lips.Maria ran it over his bottom lip playfully, then leaned in engulfing his mouth with her own in a passionate kiss that took his breath away.

The alien gasped for oxygen as she broke contact."It's nothing you wouldn't – or haven't – done for me.I want to tell you, Maria… I –"

"Michael, you don't have to," she interrupted.

This time he shushed her."I need to.There's something about you, DeLuca.It smashes down all my walls… makes me break all my own rules… it makes me wonder what I could have possibly done so right to have you feel this way about me so that I can keep doing it all my life.I – I …"//_Say it you wussy, those three words.You said it once tonight, just do it_.//, but the boy passed the chance up again."That night you overheard me and Max talking, you missed what I really said.I said no, but what I meant was, I wouldn't have back then… not something I'm proud of.But now… now I would risk everything I have… I would risk the world knowing who – what – I am to save you.I would trade my life for yours in a heartbeat."

"I – I don't know what – I'm speechless…"

He smirked, "That's a first."

Maria smacked him playfully on the arm, "I'm speechless and frankly a bit tingly."

"Good," he smiled, this time not a sarcastic smirk or a smug Michael grin, but a real smile."Now don't go telling anyone.I have a reputation to uphold."

Laughing, they both realized it seemed like forever since the last time they did that.Maria grabbed the spiky-haired boy's hand and hauled him to his feet."Don't worry, Stoic Boy… your secret's safe with me.Now come on and drive me home.I'm still a little shaky and I'm gonna need an amazing story to tell my mom."

***

They entered the DeLuca household hesitantly, not knowing what to expect from Maria's mom.What they found was Amy sitting in the reclining chair, the phone cradled in her lap.

Maria decided to speak first."Mom…"

But Amy had other ideas, "Don't you 'Mom' me.Do you realize what I've been going through all night?It crossed my mind more than once to call Jim and have him track you down."

"I'm sorry… I am."The frail blonde still had not truly recuperated from the events of the past week, so she seemed lost and small… not to mention she leaned heavily on Michael, who had yet to speak."There was just this thing I've been going through—"

The eldest DeLuca interrupted again."This thing?This thing seems to be an overwhelming theme on your life lately, Maria.This thing… is it the same thing that keeps you out until all hours of the night?Or makes you have to leave work in the middle of a shift?Or what about this… is this thing the same reason you've put about ten thousand miles on my car in less than nine months?"

Michael squeezed her hand for support and reassurance, causing her to look into his eyes."Maybe you should go, Michael… this is going to be a long one…"

Before he could answer, Amy swiftly stood from the old chair."You're not going anywhere… we're going to sit down at my kitchen table, I'm going to listen to your carefully crafted story, then we're going to eat pancakes."

The last thing she said threw the teens through a loop, "Uh, what?" Michael asked.

"I said we're going to eat pancakes and that's when I thank you for bringing my little girl home, Michael.Now sit down."He did as he was instructed."Let's just think of this as a 'Get to know Michael' breakfast… So what are your plans in life…"

The alien could only sigh as he lived out his worst nightmare… but he didn't dare not to answer the woman's questions.Michael bore down and prepared for the worst, but knew that as long as Maria was by his side he would survive.

***

Okay, that's it… I'm finally finished.I want to hear what each and every one of you thought!As always, I can be reached at [maeve_aislinn@yahoo.com][1]

Thanks for reading and stay tuned to this station for more of my upcoming fanfic.

Maea

   [1]: mailto:maeve_aislinn@yahoo.com



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